Abstract
All human communication involves both content and form; that is, there is a “message” (content, e.g., “I love you”) being expressed and a medium (form) in which that message is expressed (spoken word, a greeting card, a text message, skywriting). Scholars like Marshall McLuhan, Harold Innis, Lewis Mumford, and Neil Postman have explored the impact that the form of a medium can have on the content that can be expressed through that form, and on the way that content is interpreted or understood. For example, different forms of media engage different senses (primarily sight, hearing, and touch). Some involve complex symbolic codes or expensive equipment that exclude many people from using them. Some media forms are fleeting and ephemeral, while others allow a message to endure over thousands of years. This paper explores the time biases of media and the implications for contemporary society and our relationship with the future. Today’s digital media allow for rapid communication around the globe. They can store and share huge quantities of information, and they allow individuals to reach huge audiences with their messages. However, they are not well suited for transmission across generations. Unlike, for example, the ancient Egyptians, we are not chiseling our stories in stone; our media forms change so quickly that a digital file from just a decade ago could be unreadable today. How will our media environment shape our place in the broad sweep of human history? How will we be remembered?
Presenters
Margaret CassidyProfessor, Communications Department, Adelphi University, New York, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2024 Special Focus—Traveling Concepts: The Transfer and Translation of Ideas in the Humanities
KEYWORDS
Communication, Media History, Media Ecology, Media Environments, Digital Media
